Whole house water flow detectors/auto shutoff?

**zion zig zag** · 10-19-2020, 09:23 AM

I've been thinking that one of these would be a good idea. I don't necessarily need one that sends a notification to my phone, I just want it to detect a leak or flow event and shut down the water. Anyone have any recommendations or experience with them?

**rod9301** · 10-19-2020, 09:35 AM

Flo by moen

Bought one, works great

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

**zion zig zag** · 10-19-2020, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by rod9301

Flo by moen

Bought one, works great

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

That one comes up most often in reviews. You don't need the accessory sensors for auto shutoff with a leak do you? Only the base unit on your main water line?

**gravitylover** · 10-19-2020, 10:41 AM

I wish we had one back when the feed line to the toilet rotted out. Nobody was home and it ran for 5 or 6 hours and filled the basement 8" deep. The kids got home from school and grandpa opened the door and all the water rushed out. What a fuck'n mess that was.

**XXX-er** · 10-19-2020, 10:44 AM

the usual thing is the water tank, i've had a couple go, now i have a pan under the tank which is cheap insurance

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 11:00 AM

https://www.amazon.com/Winland-Elect.../dp/B000BKQ75G

if you have an alarm system with notification Water bug is cheap and you'll be notified and even if you're not home you at least know and can get somebody to go to the house and turn off the water before it turns into a disaster. If you're on a well it can be rigged to cut power to the well pump. But if I'm going away for a while I just cut the breaker to the pump off as cheap insurance.

**nickwm21** · 10-19-2020, 12:37 PM

I have no experience with these in my house but I’ve had a lot of these installed on commercial projects and they’ve saved our skin a few times...

Make sure you tell your insurance carrier. They will likely give you a few bucks back.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**old goat** · 10-19-2020, 01:01 PM

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/plumbin...-automatically

**bigdude2468** · 10-19-2020, 03:29 PM

We have an unfinished basement and have a Honeywell water detector that sends an email if water is detected. Have it near floor drain so it would detect water heater. Have a sump pump that only has a laundry tub on it. Water softener when regenerating runs into laundry tub. Two years ago was woke up by phone going off due to pump failing at 2:00 AM during regeneration.

I always turn off water if we are gone overnight.

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 03:38 PM

My neighbors in front of us, a couple years ago was the first winter nobody lived in the house, they turned the heat down to 60 but a pipe froze in a cold snap and then started flowing when it warmed up. It pumped water into the house for at least 2 months, possibly as much as 4.

The guy said, when he first opened the front door, it was alive inside. Something flew past him. It was like a terrarium. It was plenty warm enough in there for things to grow. Kind of amazed they didn't just tear the place down but they completely gutted it and rebuilt it.

**XXX-er** · 10-19-2020, 03:40 PM

I'm curious how these things work?

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 03:42 PM

keyboards?

**rod9301** · 10-19-2020, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

That one comes up most often in reviews. You don't need the accessory sensors for auto shutoff with a leak do you? Only the base unit on your main water line?

Yes

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

**snowaddict91** · 10-19-2020, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

My neighbors in front of us, a couple years ago was the first winter nobody lived in the house, they turned the heat down to 60 but a pipe froze in a cold snap and then started flowing when it warmed up. It pumped water into the house for at least 2 months, possibly as much as 4.

The guy said, when he first opened the front door, it was alive inside. Something flew past him. It was like a terrarium. It was plenty warm enough in there for things to grow. Kind of amazed they didn't just tear the place down but they completely gutted it and rebuilt it.

Wow. Why not shut the water off at that point?

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 04:40 PM

I mean he turned the water off like 2 minutes after he saw what was happening, up until then he didn't know.

We're both on wells, I probably should have waited a while before I told him to cut the breaker off to the pump next time he goes away.

**snowaddict91** · 10-19-2020, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

I mean he turned the water off like 2 minutes after he saw what was happening, up until then he didn't know.

We're both on wells, I probably should have waited a while before I told him to cut the breaker off to the pump next time he goes away.

Yeah, I meant why not shut it off before leaving for an extended period during winter.

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 05:03 PM

I think they didn't realize nobody was gonna be there for so long. And, the heat was on. I guess they just didn't worry about it. It wasn't a genius move.

The guy's Dad had lived in the house year-round and his adult kids are mainly there in the summer but then the Dad died and one thing lead to another.

**Dromond** · 10-19-2020, 05:17 PM

I didn't know that this existed, but it makes a lot of sense. I have a security system with water sensors (Simplisafe) but if the alarm goes off when I'm somewhere outside of the house without cell service that's not going to do much good!

I wonder if these can or could also be programmed to just shut off if more than a specified amount of water flows within a certain period of time? i.e. I'm not filling a swimming pool and if it's running for 2 hours it should probably shut off.

When I had a new fridge installed they put an auto-shut-off valve on the water line so that anything over a certain amount of flow should automatically shut off. That seems slick but it doesn't fit behind the fridge that well and I assume only work for a low-flow water line to a fridge.

**ötzi** · 10-19-2020, 05:23 PM

It probably exists for agriculture but it'd need to have a flow meter and a timer and all these ones just rely on moisture to complete a circuit basically.

**snowaddict91** · 10-19-2020, 05:26 PM

I'm going to have to look into this more for sure though. I do occasionally leave my house empty for a week or two at a time and the peace of mind would be nice as my new house doesn't have a shut-off inside like my old one did.

**Dromond** · 10-19-2020, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

It probably exists for agriculture but it'd need to have a flow meter and a timer and all these ones just rely on moisture to complete a circuit basically.

This one has a pressure sensor but as far as I can see it only shuts off based on those water sensors:

https://www.moen.com/flo/power-of-pressure

**PNWbrit** · 10-19-2020, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I'm curious how these things work?

Watch the this old house link.

**old goat** · 10-19-2020, 05:58 PM

I wish my water heater would leak and flood the 1/4 basement so we could get rid of all the crap down there. My mom was a hoarder and had a basement leak and we were able to get rid of a bunch of stuff, but she filled it up again.

**PNWbrit** · 10-19-2020, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

I wish my water heater would leak and flood the 1/4 basement so we could get rid of all the crap down there. My mom was a hoarder and had a basement leak and we were able to get rid of a bunch of stuff, but she filled it up again.

Your Mom lives in your basement?

That's a turnaround from the norm here.

**XXX-er** · 10-19-2020, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

The guy's Dad had lived in the house year-round and his adult kids are mainly there in the summer but then the Dad died and one thing lead to another.

the solution is obvious ...sue the estate